XXHighEnd

Hi all,

After the crash of my music/audio PC, I took the opportunity to upgrade to the -old- XXHEPC. I haven't found the time yet to properly install all options like the music/audio pc devision or RAMDisk yet already the sound is in another universe.
I should have done this earlier :very happy:!

I'm also happy forum stuff is now making sense. even the intona is much more of an improvement than I experienced with my other PC.

Connected again!

regards, Coen

Ha !

Well Coen, I have been waiting with some excitement for such a message and am very glad I could help you with it (as how it turns out).

For others :

We spend a day with quite some hours to show that with today's Windows 10 nothing much is wrong. However, it didn't last long before we (both) started to seek new XXHighEnd settings (I forgot the reason, but maybe you still know, Coen ?).

What actually happened was the spending of a quite large amount of time on comparing settings which in the end resulted in a change from :
Q3,4,5 = 1,1,1 with Q1 of 14 x1 and SFS = 0.11
to
Q3,4,5 = 0,1,0 with Q1 of 14 x10 and SFS=120

(the 14 x10 and SFS=120 part I actually already set earlier on)

Later I also changed the Custom Filter from Low to High (2nd one) and this is what I am still happy with.
Careful : this is for the Stealth LPS PC and does not tell much about other PCs. However, I already heard from a customer with the "old" XXHighEnd PC that the settings work for the better for him too, except for the Custom Filter change.

To be clear : this is with XXHighEnd 2.06 (or 2.06a).

Anyway ... I don't recall that I ever payed to much attention to changing settings, which possibly happens already because two hear more than one. Funny thing is (well, for me it is) that actually super small changes like Q 3,4,5 = 1,1,0 to 0,1,0 are enormously audible and actually we had a great time in tuning the S'es together with the best basses. And about two hear more than one : I really needed Coen's remark that at a certain setting voices were not present any more and with the flip of a button they were back.

I hope you will be having fun again with all !
Peter

Hi Peter,

If I recall correctly the different SFS had to do with the Silverstone being disconnected or maybe it was you who just wanted to compare with an older favorite. Doesn't matter, I had a great and very educating day in Oene! It was clear that the system was enormously responsive to any change in setting or configuration and that it sounded superb with the right ones.

One thing that still echoes in my mind is the impact of the B'Ass being on or (half?) off. On it lifts the sound spectacularly, everything gets much clearer en a certain poise or swung is added that makes the sound extra believable. Imho it could not save Windows 8, but that is another matter  :naughty:.

Thanks again for your hospitality and the listening opportunity!

Now let's see how far I can get with my system... :)

regards, Coen
 

Trying these new settings in my setup certainly improved the sound, even going to the High filter setting for my setup helped(174/192). I have swapped back to Mobo USB3 this has always been good sounding somewhat smoother than the Silverstone. More listening required to see what is better Silverstone or Mobo.

Hires files play complete albums at 120 SFS.



Robert

One thing that I have not clear yet is if using the mobo USB3 requires to connect the ground in the NOS1a. Could someone clarify it?

Regards,
Juan

Hi Juan,

My personal answer is similar as always : I still have the famous black wire disconnected - this time because the Intona is causing the isolation.

Anyway I have it running like this for 4-6 weeks (I forgot) and all remains to be OK.

Regards,
Peter

Thanks Peter I'll try it

Juan

Peter,

I probably have it wrong but I thought that turning the 3rd swith ON on the NOS1a was similar to detaching the ground wire from the NOS1a USB ?

Alain

Alain,

If you consider that On is always "connect something" plus the knowledge that our personal On's are always down, The On/Down is thus to connect the (ground) wire.

Peter

;)

I've been testing the sound without the Silverstone card and  I found a sound with more  presence and with the highs a bit smoother.  But most of all it helped me to look for better settings as it's easier to tell the differences. That could be a good sign that's better to connect the dac, or the Intona, directly to the mobo USB3.0.

Juan

Juan,
Yes I found the same with Mobo USB input. Although I did say the silverstone sounded better I did have problems with the Silverstone USB dropping out on occasions(fixed by reinstalling usb software) and going back to Mobo always sounded very good.

The more I listen though with new settings(xtweaks, SFS, Custom Filter) xx206 and Mobo USB input its definitely an upgrade in sound.

This is a lot of changes in a short space of time. I will listen longer then go back to original. I won't be changing xx206 though.

Has no one else tried the new settings????

Robert

hello Robert,
Yes I tried and, although I can't go up to SFS 120, with SFS 46 the SQ is the best I've never had.
Recently I mounted a poor's man version of the XXHE PC.( Asrock Z97M pro, i3 4170) Peter's offer was a great deal but my (auto) limited budget didn't allow me go for it (austerity syndrome I'm afraid  :old:)
So many changes in a short time too but the result is fantastic.

Maxi

Hi Robert, yes I tried it and with those settings the sound is very well balanced although I like it more with the Low filter or even with the High 4.14% than with the High 3.72%,  I find this last one a bit disturbing, it's like if I'd need to down the volume at least one step. 

Actually there are endless possibilities and many of them sound wonderfully, for example Maxi's one.

For me the last and best discovery is that the sound is better without the Silverstone card. Now looking for better settings seems to be easier.

Regards,
Juan

Definitely I like very much the new Peter settings: Q3,4,5 = 0,1,0 with Q1 of 14 x10 and SFS=120. My preferred filter is the High 4.14%. In a few days if I still think the same I'll update my signature.

Juan

I am more and more convinced that the new settings produce an improvement that could be described as HUGE. In my case I have not found a substantial increase of heat in the Audio Pc, it has been running for hours without any problem (almost 40C outside and around 24C inside here these days). I can imagine that if this happens with my computer what will not happen with Peter computer with the linear power supply and all the other improvements.

I don't know if I said it enough times :grin: but just in case I repeat once again,  if your computer can handle it worth try it.

Juan

Hi Coen,

The other day I remembered again ... There was this types of albums (or an artist actually) of electronic music, of which I told you "odd, these now seem to sound artificial and while it is synthesizers alright, I am disappointed because this didn't bug me, earlier.".
And so we both started to try things.

Btw, this music was from Gaya Project but I only played one track for example, fairly much in the beginning.

Regards and on behalf of others too, thank you. :)
Peter


PS: I will move this topic now to the Sound Quality board because by now it really belongs there, while most people may miss it when it stays in the XXHighEnd PC board.

So Juan and others ...

Yes, I still agree with those settings fully. But I also see others using it persistently (not posting here).

When going back after these several weeks by now, the old settings sound more or less nasty. Stressed / squeezed.

Apart from the better balance in general, I am still quite sure that the deepest (sub) low bass is there quite more profoundly with the specialty of not colouring or tiring (all so easy with too much sub low) or strange otherwise. This is not a guarantee because I tend to think that I might have started to like such deep down earth bass, so I wonder what others actually think about it (and a reason to have moved this topic now to the Sound Quality board).

Meanwhile the super excessive highs I now have are IMO mostly caused by this setting - and strangely enough actually the thus *high* SFS. But I can not check against my old normal situation which was a normal (XXHighEnd) PC, while today it is the Stealth with Linear Power Supply. And that too for sure contributes to those highs.

I have more to tell about these highs but I don't know how to put that yet. :)

Peter

Definitely more profound bass. Extended listening in my room has shown this. I have knocked back active sub output ever so slightly as a result. Bass on electronic music is better more controlled.

Highs are misleading especially in volume. Really noticeable when turned down how loud they were but clean sounding no distortion.

Robert

These new settings are really worth a very long listen! I've been using the smallest SFS possible and now that all seems wrong headed with the new settings. The sound is much more relaxed and neutral. It feels as though my amp went from being 30w per channel to 200. Thanks Peter!

I went back to the silverstone USB card last night and the difference is not small in my setup. I have now removed it completely.

I have also gone back to old XXhighend settings and they lasted for about  5 seconds. All sounding very good.

Robert

You mean with the new settings, right ? :)

Peter

YES with the new settings.

I split the 2 posts from briefremarks to here (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3672.msg39217#msg39217).